RAIN, COLD TEMPERATURES & SNOW IN THE FORECAST.

Posted on the 22nd December by Russell Voice

UNUSUAL LOW-PRESSURE SYSTEM – PROLONGED PERIOD OF COLD SOUTHERLIES, RAIN & SNOW.

We’re now moving closer to what’s set to be quite a rare and unusual period of weather, especially for later stages of December.

While rain will set in tomorrow afternoon and evening across the region and isolated showers and thunderstorms will affect parts of the region on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, it’s Boxing Day and Sunday where our weather ‘ramps’ up significantly with widespread rain, heavy falls and snow to unusually low levels by evening.

The ‘culprit’? At this stage an area of low pressure will form off to the east coast of Canterbury ‘feeding’ in a prolonged period of fresh cold southerlies, widespread rain and occasional heavy falls. Temperatures will struggle in the early teens on Boxing Day, perhaps even single digits for our higher alpine villages and perhaps even colder temperatures on Sunday, with snow about the higher hills and ranges.

This set-up is rare; in fact, it didn’t occur all winter in 2020 – in many ways, it’s the perfect set up for our more significant snow events in winter; the scenario our local ski operators would love in June & July.

Recreational activities – tramping, camping over this period? It will pay to keep up to date with all the local forecasts; additionally, back up plans will be required. A range of warnings are possible, including a heavy rain watch. Those planning tramps about the high country, heavier snowfall accumulations are likely at those higher elevations 1200m+, snow could even lower to around 900m affecting our higher alpine passes for a time.

Keep up to date with our town pages for all the latest details – revisions will be made each morning and evening, based on the very latest model guidance. 

(C) NZ Regional Weather Updates.